The problem of mechanical damage to hair can be approached cosmetically from two points of view: prevention--minimize the tangling and abrasive effects of handling the hair providing lubrication to reduce fiber friction, and repair--mend existing damage by depositing substances that will restore axial cohesion to splits or "fill in" areas of shaft damage. Shampooing is the cosmetic process to which the hair is exposed most frequently. The conditioner is a popular method to make combing easier, thus reducing mechanical damage. While both shampoos and conditioners that effectively prevent damage are known, there are no products in this category that effectively repair split ends. There are materials that are known to give hair improved dry combing and keep split ends closed. Cationic polymers (guars and other polysaccharides), due to their affinity to protein substrates, are known for having good wetting and combing properties. Sorbed polymers are effective in mending split ends, the split remaining mended under further abrasion of the dried fiber. Proteins have been used for many years in hair care products for their substantivity and mending effects.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,147,635 (Sep. 15, 1992; Inventors: J. Jachowicz and C. Ramireddy) discloses one-step cleaning and conditioning compositions, containing at least one urethane and urea group, which are derived from isocyanatoethyl (meth) acrylates or meth acrylic acids, that have good conditioning properties and can be formulated in the presence of a mixture of amphoteric and anionic surfactants. The invention deals with novel cationic polyelectrolytic materials, as well as their production, compositions containing these materials and methods of using the composition.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,900,545 (Feb. 13, 1990; Inventors: Wisotzki et al.) discloses a hair split end regeneration composition containing panthenol, saccharides, polynyvylperrolidone and triolemulsion. The disclosed composition for the regeneration of hair split ends is in an aqueous or aqueous/alcoholic solution.
Heretofore, a composition for the repair or regeneration of hair split-ends based on a guar, a betaine based polyurethane surfactant, and a silicone polyurethane has been unknown.